The Harvest's Carnival of Dong-Yì

Every cycle, when the new Selene marks the beginning of autumn, the city of Dong-Yì holds their traditional Harvest carnival. This carnival is an impressive event designed to celebrate the end of the farming season and the beginning of autumn.
Though this carnival is not as renowned as the one of Yu-Cheng celebrating the beginning of winter - the season of Dao - the economic importance of the harvest has made it into a large fair where different nationalities can meet and discuss current topics.
It is a cosmopolitan event that gathers people from all corners of Mornea to buy, sell and barter their produce and products. This event is also an opportunity for these visitors to enjoy the many shows and demonstrations hosted by the city throughout the ten days of the carnival.

The traditional culmination of this Carnival is a huge parade that winds through the city streets, composed of costumed actors dressed as heroic figures of the Empire or fantastic legendary creatures. But what always impresses the visitors most are the famous chimeras of the Jade Triad - fantastic animals of surprising shapes costumed with garish and grotesque clothes; a real must see for those who have never had the chance to see the creations of the Imperial Alchemists.

Your group is currently at this Carnival to complete a trade agreement that will strengthen the growing bonds of friendship and common interest with your allies as well as simply enjoying the Carnival and its celebrations.

Like any group of foreigners in Dong-Yì, you are accompanied by an Ambassador of the Empire who is responsible for guiding you through the city, explaining its customs, and ensuring you do not wander into restricted parts of the city.

But as you were walking the streets, admiring the decorations and enjoying the scents of grilled meat and baked goods from the market stalls, you ran into a panicked crowd on the main streets of the city, fleeing from something and directly into you. You do not know what has caused this panic, but it must be something very serious!

Your immediate concern is to protect the city Ambassador assigned to guide your group. It would significantly harm your relationship with the authorities of the city if you had to report the disappearance of your guide. But you are not the only group caught up in the panicking crowd, and another group of ill-intentioned visitors seems firmly set on killing your emissary and throwing your diplomatic relations with the Empire into turmoil. You will need to act quickly to save your ambassador from this dangerous situation, or maybe even turn the tables on these enemies and beat them at their own game …

Setting up the Battlefield

1) This scenario is intended to be played on a table 48” x36”.
2) The players must place at least 8 scenery elements, according to the following rules:
- Scenery cannot be placed less than 3 inches to table border, scenery or an objective.
- The players place the scenery items alternatively. Randomly determine who begins.
3) The players then define the gaming areas:
- There is only one main gaming area. There are no assigned zones.
4) The players then place their components tokens, according to the following rules:
- The tokens must be placed on scenery, at least 5 inches from any other component.
- The players each place 4 tokens alternatively. Randomly determine who begins.

Deployment

The player with the most cards starts.
If both players have the same number of cards, the one with the highest mind value starts.
If both players have the same mind value, randomly determine who starts.
The starting player deploys one of his miniatures in the center of the table. Then both players alternate deploying one miniature:
- exactly 8 inches away from one currently deployed enemy miniature
- at least 8 inches from all other enemy miniatures
- at least 6 inches from all friendly miniatures.
If a player is unable to deploy the next miniature according to these rules, he may deploy it within 6 inches of previously deployed friendly miniatures.
Miniatures with the Stealthy skill are deployed without taking their skill into account.
The strategic ability of Fu-Nihao has no effect.
Once all the miniatures are deployed, each player selectes 3 of his miniatures. He then rolls a dice to determine with which miniature the ambassador is deployed. The ambassador is then deployed in based contact with this miniature.

Victory Conditions

At the end of each turn, both players compare how many hit points their ambassador has remaining. Victory points are accumulated as follows:
- 2 VP if your ambassador has more hit points than your opponent’s OR
- 1 VP if your ambassador is alive and the opponent’s is dead.
A player wins the game if he has 6 VPs or more at the end of any turn.
If both ambassadors are killed, or if no player gets 6 VPs before the end of the game, or if both players reach 6 VP during the same turn, of if one player’s warband is wiped from the table, then the game is a draw.
The maximum number of victory points that can be gained is 6.

Special Rules

THE CROWD:
For the duration of the game, all miniatures are considered under cover.
The miniatures with the Stealthy ability are considered one size smaller for the "under cover" rolls. For example a size 2 miniature with the Stealthy ability would have a difficulty of 6 for cover rolls. A size 1 miniature with the Stealthy skill will succeed in a cover roll by rolling 4 or more.